Newbie Monica intro
Monipen
Registered Users Posts: 64 Curl Connoisseur
Hi! I'm Monica from Sweden in Nothern Europe. I'm new here and I've decided to join because I've decided that after 18 years of straightening my hair I want to go back to being curly. I started google searching for any information about curly hair and this is how I came across this website. I am really interested in getting some tips and ideas, suggestions because my entire life I've never know how to care for my curly hair and I'd like to do it right this time.
I'm just over 40, and as I explained I was born in Sweden, my dad is 100% Swedish you know the usual tall, blond and blue eyed as everyone expects, but with curly hair. If I look at old pictures of my dad when he was young he had curly/wavy hair. Then there's my mom, and this is were the combination gets interesting. My mom comes from Nicaragua, so she's a real "latina". My mom's hair is more of the kinky curly kind, really frizzy and lots of volume. According to my mom her ancestors come from Spain, native Latin American Indians and apparantely a relative (her great grandmother or someone) who had African ancestors (this would explain my mom's hair). So obviously I was born with curly hair: my hair is chestnut brown and has big loose curls, I think I'm a 3a (as I've just discovered that curly hair is categorized into different groups).
Now to be honest: my whole life I hated my curly hair! I really did, but as I am just discovering it was just because I didn't know how to care for my hair. I believe this is due to the fact that my mom never taught me because she didn't know either. During my school years I always had very long hair, as my mom said she always wished she had long straight hair. Of course she would brush my hair straight and I always had my hair braided, into one long plait. When I got older, I really hated the plait, I wore my hair loose, but of course brushed it always looked dry and had lots of volume. I was bullied at school and one of the things they used to say was that my hair looked like steel wool pads (you know the kind you use to clean the bottom of a cooking pot when there's burned food in the bottom) or like hay (yes, what horses eat). This was definitely not a good period of my life.
Later I used mousse for curly hair, but this is the interesting thing: because I had no idea that there are other "instructions for curly hair" I would just use regular schampoo and conditioner, nothing expensive just from the drugstore. I would always buy the ones that said for "extra dry hair", because that is how I viewed my hair. It looked dry and not shiny whatsoever (I really hated my hair for that). Now the problem with the mousse was that my curls would look nice the first day, although it was always stiff, but after a night of sleep the curls were gone. So I'd have to spray my hair wet and add more mousse to it, but the result was not as nice as the first day. By the third day I could forget about it, my hair was entangled and just awful, so I had to wash my hair again. I felt that washing my already dry hair every other day wasn't really practical. So most of the times I'd just wear my hair in a pony-tail or in a bun after brushing it, better than the full volume.
The joy in my life when I discovered the flat iron! I've basically been straightening my hair for the past 18 years and it's been so easy so low-maintenance. Every now and then I won't straighten my hair straight away but will leave my hair to airdry and I always have comments by other people asking my why I don't keep my hair curly. This is why I just recently started doing some research online to see whether I could learn something.
Turns out that all my life I just thought that some people just were "blessed with beautiful curly hair" and that mine was ugly, it really never occurred to me that it had to do with the products they used and certain "rules" of care. Now a whole new world has opened up to me. I'm ready to get started, but I really want to do it right this time.
By the way worth mentioning is that I think my mom was just as ignorant when it comes to care for curly hair as me. When she was young she would chemically straighten her hair. I must say that honestly I've never seen what my mom's hair would look like if she left it curly, I mean I wouldn't be able to tell which type she is, simply because she always brushes her hair to the point of afro, she just wears that pony tail day in and day out. A pony tail that is just one big round ball of hair in her back because of the volume. Few times my mom has had short hair, and I must say she really looks good in it, but she refuses to do it again because she's always wanted to have long hair she says. The other thing is that no hairdresser in Sweden really knows how to cut her hair, so she is almost traumatized by the tortourous treatment.
I realize that this is a long introduction....sorry about that, I felt like I had so much to tell. I hope to learn something here.
I'm just over 40, and as I explained I was born in Sweden, my dad is 100% Swedish you know the usual tall, blond and blue eyed as everyone expects, but with curly hair. If I look at old pictures of my dad when he was young he had curly/wavy hair. Then there's my mom, and this is were the combination gets interesting. My mom comes from Nicaragua, so she's a real "latina". My mom's hair is more of the kinky curly kind, really frizzy and lots of volume. According to my mom her ancestors come from Spain, native Latin American Indians and apparantely a relative (her great grandmother or someone) who had African ancestors (this would explain my mom's hair). So obviously I was born with curly hair: my hair is chestnut brown and has big loose curls, I think I'm a 3a (as I've just discovered that curly hair is categorized into different groups).
Now to be honest: my whole life I hated my curly hair! I really did, but as I am just discovering it was just because I didn't know how to care for my hair. I believe this is due to the fact that my mom never taught me because she didn't know either. During my school years I always had very long hair, as my mom said she always wished she had long straight hair. Of course she would brush my hair straight and I always had my hair braided, into one long plait. When I got older, I really hated the plait, I wore my hair loose, but of course brushed it always looked dry and had lots of volume. I was bullied at school and one of the things they used to say was that my hair looked like steel wool pads (you know the kind you use to clean the bottom of a cooking pot when there's burned food in the bottom) or like hay (yes, what horses eat). This was definitely not a good period of my life.
Later I used mousse for curly hair, but this is the interesting thing: because I had no idea that there are other "instructions for curly hair" I would just use regular schampoo and conditioner, nothing expensive just from the drugstore. I would always buy the ones that said for "extra dry hair", because that is how I viewed my hair. It looked dry and not shiny whatsoever (I really hated my hair for that). Now the problem with the mousse was that my curls would look nice the first day, although it was always stiff, but after a night of sleep the curls were gone. So I'd have to spray my hair wet and add more mousse to it, but the result was not as nice as the first day. By the third day I could forget about it, my hair was entangled and just awful, so I had to wash my hair again. I felt that washing my already dry hair every other day wasn't really practical. So most of the times I'd just wear my hair in a pony-tail or in a bun after brushing it, better than the full volume.
The joy in my life when I discovered the flat iron! I've basically been straightening my hair for the past 18 years and it's been so easy so low-maintenance. Every now and then I won't straighten my hair straight away but will leave my hair to airdry and I always have comments by other people asking my why I don't keep my hair curly. This is why I just recently started doing some research online to see whether I could learn something.
Turns out that all my life I just thought that some people just were "blessed with beautiful curly hair" and that mine was ugly, it really never occurred to me that it had to do with the products they used and certain "rules" of care. Now a whole new world has opened up to me. I'm ready to get started, but I really want to do it right this time.
By the way worth mentioning is that I think my mom was just as ignorant when it comes to care for curly hair as me. When she was young she would chemically straighten her hair. I must say that honestly I've never seen what my mom's hair would look like if she left it curly, I mean I wouldn't be able to tell which type she is, simply because she always brushes her hair to the point of afro, she just wears that pony tail day in and day out. A pony tail that is just one big round ball of hair in her back because of the volume. Few times my mom has had short hair, and I must say she really looks good in it, but she refuses to do it again because she's always wanted to have long hair she says. The other thing is that no hairdresser in Sweden really knows how to cut her hair, so she is almost traumatized by the tortourous treatment.
I realize that this is a long introduction....sorry about that, I felt like I had so much to tell. I hope to learn something here.
3
Comments
2B/2C, fine hair, low density, mixed porosity, protein loving hair
Current products:
Your best bet is to just read, read, read! There's so much information all over this site... you'll find lots of great tips and advice.
And then when you have specific questions, fire away! (Probably over in the Type 3 forum).
And of course, we'd love to see some pix of your beautiful curls!
Gretchen
NaturallyCurly.com co-founder
3A
You are beautiful!
--My CG and grey hair progress -
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/going-gray/179328-jeepys-grey-hair-progress.html
--My article at NaturallyCurly about going grey -
https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/color/how-i-went-completely-gray-and-loved-it
Good for you for embracing the hair your were born with.
Clarify: Kinky Curly Come Clean
Rinse-out: Alaffia Coffee & Shea Revitalizing Conditioner for Fine/Thin Hair (summer), Alaffia Everyday Coconut Ultra Hydrating Conditioner
DT: Camille Rose Naturals Algae Renew Deep Conditioner
Leave-in: As I Am Leave-in
Styler: Lily of the Desert 99% Aloe Vera Gelly
Treatment: Daily tea spray; Coconut oil overnight treatment; Citric acid rinse for hard water; 2-step Henndigo w/ amla to cover gray
2C, fine, low porosity, low/medium density, protein sensitive
Looking for styling products and tools
iHerb Code KQS149 for 5% off your order
Type: 2c
Density: medium
Porosity: high
Thickness: fine
Clarify: Kinky Curly Come Clean
Rinse-out: Alaffia Coffee & Shea Revitalizing Conditioner for Fine/Thin Hair (summer), Alaffia Everyday Coconut Ultra Hydrating Conditioner
DT: Camille Rose Naturals Algae Renew Deep Conditioner
Leave-in: As I Am Leave-in
Styler: Lily of the Desert 99% Aloe Vera Gelly
Treatment: Daily tea spray; Coconut oil overnight treatment; Citric acid rinse for hard water; 2-step Henndigo w/ amla to cover gray
2C, fine, low porosity, low/medium density, protein sensitive
Looking for styling products and tools
iHerb Code KQS149 for 5% off your order
I was 15 when this picture was taken and this is why I hated my hair so.... this is what my hair would look like when it was brushed dry. I really really hated it.
This was one of those times that I used curl mousse in my hair... it looked OK the first day. (As I have learned now those curl mousses I used contained alcohol).
But then the second day it would look like this. And it would just look dry and I really really hated this as well. By day 3 I was forced to wash my hair all over again.
But then in the spring semester of freshman year, a new girl started at my school who was kind of spoiled. Her parents used to let her go to a fancy $100/haircut salon (that was in the 80s!!!) but the stylist gave her all kinds of tips that we now take for granted here at nc.com. And she passed those tips on to me.
Also, the other pics look pretty good to. I actually like that Day 2 hair shot you have. That kind of hair was kind of the fashion back then. Also, achieving Day 3 hair is kind of an accomplishment. Even Day 2 hair is challenging (I certainly don't have it.) I wouldn't feel bad that you don't have it right now.
Clarify: Kinky Curly Come Clean
Rinse-out: Alaffia Coffee & Shea Revitalizing Conditioner for Fine/Thin Hair (summer), Alaffia Everyday Coconut Ultra Hydrating Conditioner
DT: Camille Rose Naturals Algae Renew Deep Conditioner
Leave-in: As I Am Leave-in
Styler: Lily of the Desert 99% Aloe Vera Gelly
Treatment: Daily tea spray; Coconut oil overnight treatment; Citric acid rinse for hard water; 2-step Henndigo w/ amla to cover gray
2C, fine, low porosity, low/medium density, protein sensitive
Looking for styling products and tools
iHerb Code KQS149 for 5% off your order
Clarify: Kinky Curly Come Clean
Rinse-out: Alaffia Coffee & Shea Revitalizing Conditioner for Fine/Thin Hair (summer), Alaffia Everyday Coconut Ultra Hydrating Conditioner
DT: Camille Rose Naturals Algae Renew Deep Conditioner
Leave-in: As I Am Leave-in
Styler: Lily of the Desert 99% Aloe Vera Gelly
Treatment: Daily tea spray; Coconut oil overnight treatment; Citric acid rinse for hard water; 2-step Henndigo w/ amla to cover gray
2C, fine, low porosity, low/medium density, protein sensitive
Looking for styling products and tools
iHerb Code KQS149 for 5% off your order
Gretchen
NaturallyCurly.com co-founder
3A
You are beautiful!